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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22958887">Massage therapy, anyone?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pastel_SpaceAce/pseuds/Pastel_SpaceAce'>Pastel_SpaceAce</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Chronic Pain, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Innuendo, M/M, Massage, Physical Disability, Physical Therapy, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, gaster's body is kind of a wreck, grillby being a good boyfriend</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:27:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,797</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22958887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pastel_SpaceAce/pseuds/Pastel_SpaceAce</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Just what the tags say.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>W. D. Gaster/Grillby</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Massage therapy, anyone?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>Grillby was out shopping one day, visiting a new market that had opened recently. It was in a part of town he wasn't familiar with, so he walked slowly, taking his time to look at every little shop on his way. He stopped in front of one, looking at it with interest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn't a shop per se, more like a beauty salon. A small place that offered services such as manicures, skin care, that sort of thing. But the thing that caught his eye was a different advert.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It offered massage services and lessons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hesitating, he finally ventured in. It wouldn't hurt to ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was immediately greeted by a petite human receptionist, eager to introduce him to the establishment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Welcome to Self-Care Spa and Beauty Salon, mister. Is there anything in particular you were interested in?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Uhm, yes, but it's only out of curiosity. I saw that you give massages?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Certainly. We have several options of types and duration of massages. Here is a brochure detailing our various services.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grillby took the paper and started to cough discreetly while looking away, feeling awkward all of a sudden.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Well, you see, it's not really for me. I also saw that you have courses?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her smile turned knowing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-For some lucky person out there, maybe?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He laughed nervously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-H-heh, yes. I wanted to surprise my boyfriend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her face lit up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Oh you should have said so from the start! Yes, we have several courses for beginners.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-I heard massages can also help with pain relief? My boyfriend has a chronic pain condition, and he's in physical therapy already but I wanted to help too. I was wondering if your courses include that?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She seemed to briefly consider that, before she nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Hm. Well, if he's being treated already then this is what you're looking for. Common massages like ours aren't an actual treatment, but they do provide pain relief to some extent, since they help the body relax. You should ask his doctor before giving him a massage if you have doubts about it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She clapped her hands together, and her smile widened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-That being said, our courses mostly accommodate human anatomy, but we've been recently adding monster professionals to our staff. I suppose he's a monster?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Oh, uhm, yes, he is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-What kind of monster is he? We adapt our lessons according to the anatomy of whoever the massage is intended for. Different types of monsters can alter the required techniques quite a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-He's a skeleton, I guess it would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>kind of</span>
  </em>
  <span> like a human massage? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled warmly, leading him to the front desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Leave it all to me, dear. When do you want to start?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gaster entered the house with a tired sigh. He didn't bother to linger in the hallway to lock the door; he walked straight towards the sofa while his magic hands took care of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leaving his crutches nearby, he threw himself on the couch, sinking into the soft cushions; he was annoyed, and vaguely frustrated. He hadn't walked all that much in the morning, or gotten all that much done either, but his legs and his back still bothered him. The whole </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> still bothered him. And it was only midday. </span>
  <b>Damnit.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, he supposed he could lie down for a quick nap before Sans and Papyrus picked him up for the movies. They wouldn't arrive for a while anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he was mustering the will to shift his body into a lying position, the door opened and closed again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Hey, Dings. Weren't you going out today?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grillby leaned over the back of the couch to hover over the skeleton, who lifted his face so he could kiss him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Not yet, I was gonna sleep for a while. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>no,</span>
  </em>
  <span> I did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> skip lunch. I ate at that new little restaurant near Muffet's.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Mmm, is it any good? I still haven't found the time to try it out yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-It has a rather amazing risotto. We should go sometime. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grillby made his way around the couch to sit down next to him, throwing an arm over his shoulders to bring him closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Yeah, we should. It's been a while since I last went out for dinner; not cooking would be nice for a change.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaster sighed against him, and the sound came out very soft and weak. Grillby turned to look at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Is something wrong?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The skeleton just leaned closer to rest his skull over his shoulder, closing his eyes and hugging the elemental's waist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Just tired. I haven't been able to do much lately, I get tired very often these days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Anything hurts?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Not really, just enough to be annoying. Don't worry about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grillby's smile turned into more of a smirk then, as he gently bumped the skeleton's side. The movement didn't bother him, only shook him enough to get a small giggle out of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-I think I may have a solution for that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaster peered up at him, smiling playfully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Really? And does that solution entail cuddling, by any chance?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a short pause. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-... Alright, </span>
  <em>
    <span>kind of.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
  <b>I </b>
  <b>
    <em>knew</em>
  </b>
  <b> it.</b>
  <span> Given the way you pester me about being needy, it's remarkable how many times it is actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> who wants to cuddle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Yeah well </span>
  <em>
    <span>okay</span>
  </em>
  <span> but this is different. So, if you would kindly follow me to the bedroom?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaster raised one brow bone, his curious smirk turning into surprised snickering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Oh? Is this the kind of solution I'm thinking of? Because there </span>
  <b>are</b>
  <span> more subtle ways to bring that up, you know. At least you could </span>
  <em>
    <span>try</span>
  </em>
  <span> to disguise it, candle, I don't know, as an 'intimate massage' or something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grillby was already on his feet in front of him, offering one hand to help him stand and wearing a cryptic grin of his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Well, you wouldn't be entirely wrong about that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-COME </span>
  <em>
    <span>ON,</span>
  </em>
  <span> SANS, HURRY! WE STILL HAVE TO PICK FRISK UP, AND THEN </span>
  <em>
    <span>HOPE</span>
  </em>
  <span> WE STILL GET TO BUY THE TICKETS BEFORE THEY RUN OUT!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Snickering quietly, Sans walked behind him at his own pace while rubbing the sleep off of his sockets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-chill, bro, its still early. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
  <em>
    <span>YES,</span>
  </em>
  <span> IT IS, BUT THERE IS TRAFFIC AT THIS HOUR.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sans yawned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-i can teleport to the cinema if we run late for the tickets, dont worry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They quickly reached the front door of Grillby's and their father's house. Papyrus knocked a few times, and after five minutes he still wouldn't get an answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-huh. must be sleeping. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Papyrus sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND SUCH A LAZY ACTIVITY. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knocked again. Still nothing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-yeah, definitely sleeping. get the key, we better wake him up or we will </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> be late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They unlocked the door and headed straight for the living room, only to find that the sofa was empty. They exchanged a look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-MAYBE IN THE BEDROOM-?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if on cue, a muffled groan came from the hallway that led to the main bedroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Upon approaching the closed door, more noises kept coming out, intensifying as they got closer. Both of them stopped abruptly after a few steps, because the clearer the sounds got, the more it seemed that they were absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> family friendly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The noises were a weird series of grunts, closely followed by long sighs and groans. Many of them were mercifully very muffled. Most of them, unlucky for the skeletons, were not.</span>
</p><p><span>They stood frozen in place, suddenly feeling very awkard and </span><b><em>so</em></b><em><span> incredibly</span></em> <em><span>uncomfortable,</span></em><span> but for whatever reason they were unable to move for a few moments.</span></p><p>
  <span>Papyrus was the first to snap out of it after a short time, making the firm decision that they would </span>
  <em>
    <span>only</span>
  </em>
  <span> stay long enough to make sure that their minds weren't rightfully in the gutter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-... UH... DAD...?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What tHE </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>FUCK</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> was that a </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>MOAN?!</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as they turned tail and were about to sprint down the corridor and get the hell out of the house, Grillby's voice replied from inside the bedroom. It was composed and perfectly calm, ringing clearly over the many, </span>
  <em>
    <span>many</span>
  </em>
  <span> dirty noises.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Oh, hey boys, we didn't hear the door. Get in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They slowly turned around again, wide-eyed. The noises were very much not stopping.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-... </span>
  <b>please</b>
  <span> tell me youre both wearing clothes...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a long sigh from the room, most surely belonging to Grillby, which sounded annoyed and, somehow, incredibly disappointed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
  <em>
    <span>Good</span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em> gods,</em>
  </b>
  <span> Sans. Get your filthy mind out of the gutter and just </span>
  <em>
    <span>get the hell in already.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They exchanged an uncertain look and finally dared push the door open. What they encountered on the other side was, in fact, not dirty, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>still</span>
  </em>
  <span> weird as fuck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaster was lying on his chest over the bed, shirtless and half covered by blankets. His body lied completely limp and relaxed, limbs sprawled in a way that indicated he was too comfortable to deign any movement. Grillby was sitting on the edge of the bed by his side, sleeves rolled up as he gave the skeleton a very thorough, conscientious massage. The weird thing about that picture was, as previously stated, the goddamn </span>
  <b>noises.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>That, and also the dubious answer to the question of whether or not Gaster was actually wearing anything under the sheets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stood by the door, staring, before either could find their words again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-... RIGHT. SO... I TAKE IT YOU </span>
  <em>
    <span>WON'T</span>
  </em>
  <span> GET UP AND DRESSED FOR THE MOVIE?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a soft, satisfying </span>
  <em>
    <span>pop</span>
  </em>
  <span> as Grillby pressed his weight on Gaster's back with both hands, immediately followed by a shiver and a long, almost </span>
  <b>guttural</b>
  <span> groan that reverberated deep within the skeleton's throat and ribcage. He buried his face further into the pillow, eyes half-closed and smile </span>
  <em>
    <span>ecstatic </span>
  </em>
  <span>as he mumbled short and incoherent noises into the mattress. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-... y...eah, so, i guess we will be... going, then...?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Goodbye, boys, enjoy the film.</span>
</p><p><span>-H-have a g-good time, b-b-bo</span><em><span>ysssss</span></em> <b><em>nN</em></b><b>Ng</b><b><em>Hh</em></b><b>h</b><b><em>h</em></b><span>g</span><em><span>O</span></em><span>d</span><b>Y</b><b><em>Es</em></b><b>r</b><em><span>i</span></em><span>g</span><b><em>h</em></b><b>t</b><em><span>t</span></em><b><em>h</em></b><span>eR</span><b><em>e</em></b><b>I</b><span>L</span><em><span>ov</span></em><b>e</b><span>y</span><em><span>O</span></em><b><em>u</em></b><b>g</b><em><span>r</span></em><span>il</span><em><span>lby</span></em><span>y</span><em><span>yy...</span></em></p><p>
  <span>-Still no idea what you're saying but thanks, I guess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They excused themselves as fast as they could before they </span>
  <em>
    <span>noped</span>
  </em>
  <span> the hell out of there and all but ran back to the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sans walked down the sidewalk in a daze, like he was in shock and still trying to process what had just happened. Papyrus voiced his exact thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-YEAH, WE WILL HAVE TO ASK THEM TO WARN US NEXT TIME THEY DO THAT.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His brother just nodded absently, blinked quickly a few times as he shook his head, and then got in the car. None of them spoke throughout the entire trip, and they both wordlessly agreed never to bring that up ever again.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Always consult your physician, kids.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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